REVIEW: Monty Python Live (Mostly), Dukes Cinema, Lancaster

Monty Python stars (back left to right) Terry Gilliam and John Cleese and (front left to right) Terry Jones and Michael Palin during a photocall at the Empire Cinema in London's Leicester Square, Thursday October 7, 1999 where the comedy colleagues reunited to celebrate their 30th anniversary. The surviving partners attended a charity screening of their hit movie Life Of Brian to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief as a tribute to their late partner Graham Chapman who died a decade ago. Eric Idle was notable by his absence following an apparent fall-out. PA photo: Justin Williams. See PA story SHOWBIZ Python.

Published:12:13Sunday 03 August 2014

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OWEN LAMBERT writes...One of the most famous comedy acts of the last half century, Monty Python, has been giving us crude humour since long before even my dad was born.

So you could imagine my delight the day that my father and I went to see the uncut version of their cleverly titled final tour: Monty Python Live (Mostly).

As we entered the theatre they were showing on screen the making of the production along with Qs and As about Monty Python itself.

Along with this were some of their best musical numbers from the films and Flying Circus complete with explicit and taboo breaking lyrics, something my dad wasn’t too pleased with me hearing.

As the show started we were thrown straight into one of the comedy act’s sketches, firstly a ‘photo opportunity’ with them all speaking in Spanish for the first five minutes and singing a song about llamas.

In-between each sketch followed a surreal cartoon from the Flying Circus providing many laughs while they set up the stage for the next brilliant act.

My personal favourite sketch had to be the performance of the Blue Danube: Explosives Version. On every other beat, another member of the orchestra would go up in a cloud of smoke as the conductor continued happily.

There was no culture or race that was left unscathed by the Pythons’ witty adaptions.

Also the genius segment between Professor Brian Cox and Stephen Hawking was fantastically done, with Hawking running the mouthy know-it-all over and proceeding to sing a Python number.

The show had me howling with laughter and proves that good comedy never dies.